Find your roots and hear your ancestors' words across the generations. Discover your origins in old letters as ancestors tell their stories and reveal family relationships, past events, moments in time and details of family history. Add branches to your family tree as you search your ancestry and build your genealogy.

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

1865 CARROLLTON, ILLINOIS,

THE LETTER STARTS BY ASKING MOLLIE WHY SHE HASN'T WRITTEN IN RESPONSE TO A PREVIOUS LETTER, WONDERING IF SHE HAD JUST BEEN SO BUSY THAT SHE HAD THOUGHT SHE HAD. IT SEEMS THAT SHE MAY HAVE BEEN AWAY VISITING BECAUSE HE WARNS HER TO STAY AWY FROM THE "YANKEE MEN" IN HER TRAVELS

HE THEN GOES ON TO STATE THAT HE HAS ALSO BEEN VERY BUSY DO TO THE CHRISTMAS SEASON GOING TO EVENTS AT SEVERAL CHURCHS. ONE OF WHICH WAS AN OYSTER DINNER AT WHICH HE ATE SO MUCH THAT HE WAS SICK FOR A WEEK. HE STATES THAT HE FAILED TO ATTEND THE CATHOLIC TIME BECAUSE HE WENT TO A CONCERT BY A NOTED VIOLINIST "ALF HOWARD" AND HOW AT ANOTHER HE SAT AS THE CHILDREN MET WITH SANTA CLAUS.

HE SIGNS THE LETTER "AS EVER, CHARLIE" AND THEN CONTINUES WITH THE FOLLOWING :

"GEORGE DAVIS HAS GONE TO KENTUCKY TO GET MARRIED, YOU SEE MARRYING IS ALL THE RAGE. YOU BETTER STAY WHERE YOU ARE FOR IF YOU SHOULD RETURN AMONG US THE DISEASE MIGHT FORM CONTAGIOUS AND AWAY WOULD GO MOLLIE AND LEAVE ME IN THE LIST OF OLD B-'S AND AWAY DOWN IN THE LIST."

This great old letter is for sale on Ebay. If you want to take a peek just follow one of the links on this blog.